To Wire or Not to Wire

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Flame

Flame

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Aug 26, 2007
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redcliffecityflorist.com.au
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I am trying to understand wedding bouquets such as cascading, teardrop that need to be fully wired. Now I wire all of mine but because I am new at doing this technique I find it takes me HOURS on end just to wire all the silly flowers. Now that would not be so bad if I was by myself having a wonderful time listening to the radio at home...but NO I have a shop which is immensly stupid on Friday's and need extra staff to work.

So my question is: In wiring bouquets....does anyone have a super fast way of doing it with short cuts...that are good short cuts...not dodgey ( bad ) shortcuts?

And second question...if you don't wire those bouquets....what do you use? a bridie holder? and is there a secret trick about using these things?
 
I wasn't aware that people still fully wired any bouquets anymore. For cascades I use a slant holder and add a cowee pick on the end of my long flowers if light or a wire through to other side on heavy like roses. using the wood picks and floralock spray ain't nuthin fallin out of that baby...Stop the insanity of all that wiring and use the wonderful tools that oasis and cowee and others have blessed us with. You may find it only takes 20 minutes to whip up a brides bouquet...
 
Have been doing weddings for 30 years and used to wire and tape everything too. Now we do everything the same way Lori said. Much less time and flowers hold up better in the heat using bouquet holders with oasis. For long cascades or with heavy flowers, do wire them all the way up through the cage and hook. Then use Floralock. In addition to locking the flowers in place, I'm told it also seals in the moisture.
 
Oh my gosh, I haven't wired and taped for years! I learned how at Flowers Canada and then didn't really have to use it after that as styles and techniques changed (thank goodness).

Obviously some things need a wire for extension or stability, but as far as wiring and taping the whole bouquet... forgettaboutit. ;)

V
 
Wiring

I am thinking you need to take a refresher course from a certified teacher. The questions you are asking are techniques that many of us have paid highly for information that you want us to provide to you for free. I am not trying to be ugly, but, I really think this is the best way to learn.

There are many really good teachers out there. If you want any suggestions, the flower chatters can help you out.

Carol Bice
 
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Not ugly Carol... just mindful of a very recent thread. ;) And, you're right.

V
 
Ditto to all the above comments. The only thing I wire in a cascade, is the cascading portion of the bouquet, and use the bouquet holder for the rest of the flowers. Sometimes I wire and tape delicate lilies - just because the petals tend to break off so easily sometimes, it gives them a little more support.

Have done a few cascades this summer - today's is my 4th or 5th, but just the bride (thank gawd! 7 bridesmaides :tread: and she originally wanted cascades for them.) Photo in the gallery, because I get an error message here.

tracy

ps - please if you use a holder, use something to finish off the back and handle - I can't tell you how many bridal photos I've seen, where you see the unfinished stem and back side of the BHO. Tacky tacky.
 
Tracypieface said:
Ditto to all the above comments. The only thing I wire in a cascade, is the cascading portion of the bouquet, and use the bouquet holder for the rest of the flowers. Sometimes I wire and tape delicate lilies - just because the petals tend to break off so easily sometimes, it gives them a little more support.

Have done a few cascades this summer - today's is my 4th or 5th, but just the bride (thank gawd! 7 bridesmaides :tread: and she originally wanted cascades for them.) Photo in the gallery, because I get an error message here.

tracy

ps - please if you use a holder, use something to finish off the back and handle - I can't tell you how many bridal photos I've seen, where you see the unfinished stem and back side of the BHO. Tacky tacky.
Click to expand...

Tracy,

you and I think alike! we posted at the same time and my hybrid comment was exactly what you typed out.

joe
 
Hey! I never thought of it as a hybrid - new word for the day.
:)
back to work, more flowers to make for tomorrow's weddings!

tracy
 
Oh MY!!!

Dear Flame ,
I hope you are getting 500.00 and up for those, and do as other suggested on here, about the holders and such, I do as the FlowerSmith, but do really glitsy ones,as I am sure others do as well, and Yes I still wire if they request it, but most don't any more,
 
Wired and Taped bouquets versus bridal holder and handtieds

The only time I ever wire and tape a brides bouquet is for a competition. Ninety plus percent of the people who have judged have told me that it shows a greater skill level and presents a more finished look.

Now - Bridal holder - I used to find them difficult till I learned a trick using the flat slant handle holders INVERTED. instead of the handle being in the vertical position with the oasis portion above - You hold the bouquet horizontal with the oasis portion balanced on top of your fingers.....makes for a much easer carried bouquet ( see line drawing attached )

This places the center of gravity on top of the brides hands and eases carrying for her.

Handtieds are the easiest of bouquets to do.........You can extend the stems and use flexible materials to give you somewhat of a cascade feel to to your handtied.

If I am going to wire and tape a bridal bouquet for a client.....there better be some serious dollars involved.
 

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I may be part of the few, but I still W&T many flowers in hand tied bouquets. Like this week for example, I got "Milva" roses for a bridal bouquet (hand tied) and the last one inch at the top is really floppy because the head is so heavy. I had no other choice but to wire those. I also had to extend gloriosas by W&T. I am a big fan of the hybrid though, and I don't wire everything... Just the more dainty flowers like lysianthus, sweet peas, tulips... Basically anything that can flop out of a bouquet.

I find that I use way more flowers when I use bouquet holders, so it really comes down to "am I willing to sacrifice time or money?" and sometimes time IS money, so out come the Oasis holders...

Back to more wedding work in the morning!
Julie
Lally's Bouquet
 
Wow Julie... I've never had a problem with Lisis "flopping over". As a matter of fact I've had them last at home in a hand tied for 3 weeks.

V
 
V, I find when I put lisi on the outside edges of the bouquets, it holds up better if it's wired. I was a bridesmaids in a wedding where the lisi wasn't wired and we all had trouble with the flowers breaking or flopping out. I decided that this type of thing wouldn't happen when I make bouquets! :)

It's only for bridal work that I wire certain flowers. I rarely wire any bouquets for the home. Goodness no!

Bridal bouquets just go through so much wear and tear during the wedding day...
 
:) I understand we all do things as a result of our experience... I've just never had an issue with lisis (they are a favourite of mine and I wish they had a fragrance).

One of these days I'm going to wander into your shop. I still have ties to Waterloo.

V
 
Lally's Bouquet said:
V, I find when I put lisi on the outside edges of the bouquets, it holds up better if it's wired. I was a bridesmaids in a wedding where the lisi wasn't wired and we all had trouble with the flowers breaking or flopping out. I decided that this type of thing wouldn't happen when I make bouquets! :)

It's only for bridal work that I wire certain flowers. I rarely wire any bouquets for the home. Goodness no!

Bridal bouquets just go through so much wear and tear during the wedding day...
Click to expand...


Well yes sometimes, we all have to wire certain things, but maybe I misunderstood the Flame post, You were wireing all of the flowers correct for an oval cascade correct ? Or is the Queen way over worked today? Maybe a little of both..
 
V, you're welcome anytime!

Oh, and to get back to the original post, I do the hybrid for the cascading... The first way is to use the oasis holder and only wire the bottom half, and the second way is to do a hand-tied with wired cascading. Either way works great!
 
Now see all of you guys are from the States...and down under we have bridie holders but what on earth is cowee??? hahaha never heard of that one.
Also I did not mean for you guys to GIVE away all the secret information that you have paid for ... no offense.... I understand fully, but its good to hear other people's suggestions when it comes to wiring or bridies because I have heard lots of pros and cons on both wiring bouquets and using bridie holders...so hence the reason for me asking.
One more question though....if you are glueing in flowers to the bridie holder...whats the use of the oasis being wet when the flower will not benefit from the water anyway because it is sealed with glue? Sorry if this is a silly question....but me and another florist were wondering.
 
Flame said:
Now see all of you guys are from the States...and down under we have bridie holders but what on earth is cowee???
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Cowee is a slim wooden stake, usually with a wire attached to the top. You can begin your cascade by wiring and attaching to that stake, then insert it into the BHO. The wood swells upon soaking up water, so it is more secure than plain wire. I usually use a long wire, insert it completely through the BHO, and loop it back down through, over a couple of the plastic supports at the top end of the holder. I use a wood cowee pick for extra support. I have a pic in the gallery of a HUGE (at least for me) cascading bouquet of mixed colorful flowers - this took several wired portions to make multiple cascading pieces.

Flame said:
One more question though....if you are glueing in flowers to the bridie holder...whats the use of the oasis being wet when the flower will not benefit from the water anyway because it is sealed with glue? Sorry if this is a silly question....but me and another florist were wondering.
Click to expand...
I believe the glue they were referring to is "floralock". It is sprayed on the foam after all insertions are made, and helps lock the stem into the foam so it doesn't slide out. It takes a practiced hand to not get the glue dripping down the handle of the holder, but the stems are very secure afterward.

tracy
 
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